Chapter 89: The Determination Under the Yukata

It was a day in August, the sun was strong, and the air was dazzlingly bright. Itomi Yuki was asked by the club’s advisor to participate in a two-day, one-night camping trip.

It was an experience she had never had before. Eating snacks in the car, chatting, fishing, a test of courage, cooking, all with her friends.

Spending time so “meaninglessly,” even forgetting the goal of surpassing her sister, this was the first time.

“Yuki, let’s play together again next time!” After the activity ended, they parted at the school gate. Hayashima held her arm and looked at her with anticipation.

“Hayashima-san, it’s hot,” she struggled to pull her arm back.

“It’s a deal then~, I’ll find a place, and Takashi will come too!” Hayashima said without a care, even with a hint of command.

“Playing is fine, but may I ask, have you finished your summer homework?” Takashi, as always, made Itomi Yuki dumbfounded.

“No,” Hayashima was also.

“Sigh,” she sighed as if she had a headache. “Forget about playing. Let’s do our homework together next time.”

“Really? That’s great! If we do it together, we’ll definitely finish our homework quickly!”

“Don’t be too confident, Hayashima-san,” she said with a smile.

“No problem, with Yuki here, we’ll finish it quickly! After we’re done, we’ll go play again! It’s decided!”

They didn’t do their vacation homework together, nor did they go out to play. From that day on, Itomi Yuki never saw them again.

That day, on the way back, whether it was the roadside trees, the Makuhari building in the distance, or the passing trains, they were all shining brightly.

She returned home from school. At the entrance of her house, a police car was parked.

As soon as she entered the house, she saw her mother’s sad eyes.

Her father was getting up to see the police off. He was standing, hunched over, his head bowed, constantly begging. She had never seen her father so small.

“What happened?” she asked quickly.

Her mother was still crying, and her father was hesitant to speak. The two policemen with cold expressions glanced at her and said:
“Your sister killed someone and is now a wanted criminal. If there is any news of her later, we hope the family can cooperate with us.”

“Killed someone? You must be mistaken!” Itomi Yuki subconsciously argued.

The police didn’t explain. Before they left, they formulaically dropped a sentence: “Harboring a criminal is also a crime,” leaving behind a broken family.

She questioned her parents and called her sister. What else happened in between, Itomi Yuki could no longer remember.

She returned to her room, bent her legs, and hugged her knees.

The terrible truth was in front of her. The feeling of despair continued to expand. She buried her head between her knees, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

From that day on, she was listless all day.

It was as if she had been abandoned in a deep well. Time went on, and only she was left in the same place.

Her father called every day, to friends, to professors, to classmates. Her mother’s expression was haggard, but she was always looking forward to it.

After the phone call was hung up, it was always a desperate silence.

Her sister’s boyfriend, Minamoto Kiyomoto, also disappeared.

Her father, mother, and herself made many, many phone calls, and even went to Tokyo, but to no avail.

◇

On September 1st, Itomi Yuki zipped up her pleated skirt, tied her tie neatly, and put her textbooks into her schoolbag one by one.

“Mother, I’m going to school,” she said after breakfast.

“If you’re not feeling well, you can take a few days off. Don’t force yourself,” her mother had a lot of white hair, her voice had become haggard, and she had a kind smile on her face.

“I’m fine,” Itomi Yuki shook her head. “I’m leaving, mother.”

“Okay, be careful on the way.”

Sakuragi High School was a college preparatory high school. The school started earlier in the morning than other schools, and the morning ended later, at 12:50, when the lunch break bell rang.

Itomi Yuki asked for leave, picked up her schoolbag, and prepared to leave school.

In the corridor, boys were playing, girls were chatting about makeup and television, and boys and girls were chasing each other.

Itomi Yuki’s face was expressionless as she walked among these people.

When she was about to go downstairs, she hesitated for a moment, but still went to Hayashima and Takashi’s classroom.

“Sorry, I have something to do this afternoon, so I can’t go to the club,” she said.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Hayashima subconsciously waved her hand.

“Itomi-san,” Takashi asked from the side, “is something wrong?”

Hayashima also looked at her with concern.

Itomi Yuki wanted to comfort them and show a reassuring smile, but she couldn’t do it. She could only wave her hand gently at the two of them.

When she was about to reach the stairs, Hayashima called out to her.

“Yuki, no matter what, we’re friends!”

Itomi Yuki looked back at her, “Okay.”

1:31, Chiba Station, Platform 2.

Since morning, the weather had been gloomy. Itomi Yuki, wearing the school’s summer uniform—a shirt and a short skirt—was very eye-catching on the platform.

She took out her phone and opened the national wanted list.

“Itomi Sayaka, 26 years old, short hair, height 167 cm.”

Below that were the charges: murder, robbery, drug trafficking, human trafficking, endangering national security, leading a terrorist organization, illegal possession of firearms…
That wasn’t a wanted list, it should be called something like “The Complete Book of Crimes.”

The police officer on duty at the platform came over and asked why she wasn’t at school.

She took out the school’s leave slip and said that she was going to a hospital in Tokyo for a check-up. The police officer told her to be careful by herself, and she said thank you.

The Sobu Line train bound for Tokyo pulled into the station. Itomi Yuki walked into the carriage, found a seat, and put on her headphones.

Nishi-Chiba, Inage, Shin-Kemigawa, one station after another. When the train announcement called out ‘Hirai,’ they entered the Tokyo area.

Kameido, Kinshicho, Ryogoku, Asakusabashi, Suidobashi, Iidabashi.

It took 58 minutes. She got off at Iidabashi and changed to the Namboku Line.

She looked at the red characters on the display screen: Iidabashi, Korakuen…
“Next stop, Todai-mae, Todai-mae.”

Itomi Yuki put away her headphones, got out from Exit 1, walked for two minutes, and stood at the entrance of the Yayoi campus of the University of Tokyo.

“Sister,” she called out softly and walked in through the Western-style main gate.

Everything was a groundless suspicion, a trumped-up charge. It was impossible for her sister to do such a thing. It was an injustice!

Her faint eyes gradually brightened, as if a torch had been lit.

She didn’t know which building Minamoto Kiyomoto was having class in at this time. She could only follow the route Minamoto Kiyomoto had shown her last time, looking for him building by building, classroom by classroom.

In the long and narrow corridor of “Medical Faculty Building 3,” she saw him.

The corridor was crowded with medical students who had just finished class, but she found him at first glance.

He was alone, wearing a white medical long coat, holding a book in his left hand, and playing with a golden cup like a keychain in his right hand. His back was straight, his pace was leisurely, and he didn’t look sad or bored at all.

“Yuki?” He also saw her.

A high school girl who looked like an idol appeared in a university teaching building. How could she not attract attention?

Minamoto Kiyomoto put the Xiangye crown in the pocket of his white coat and walked towards her.

He sized her up and said in a thoughtful tone, “You haven’t been sleeping enough, you’ve lost weight, and you haven’t been drinking enough water. You need to rest.”

She took a deep breath to prevent her voice from being too loud and her emotions from getting out of control.

“You know why I’m here,” she stared at him coldly.

“Sayaka’s matter?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked back.

Itomi Yuki looked at him and said nothing.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. What I know, you also know,” he said.

“In mid-July,” Itomi Yuki’s eyes were like nails, nailing Minamoto Kiyomoto, “my sister suddenly said she was going to Shikoku. That’s your hometown. After that, my sister was wanted.”

“According to the police’s intelligence, your sister came to me as a cover for her crime.”

“My sister couldn’t have done those things!”

Itomi Yuki’s cold voice spread in the corridor.

The passing students noticed the two of them.

“There are many people in this world who are forced to commit crimes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked out the window. “Go back early. It’s going to rain.”

He walked around her and towards the classroom for the next class.

Itomi Yuki reached out and grabbed his arm.

Minamoto Kiyomoto turned his head, about to speak, but saw a cold, stubborn, and gradually reddening face.

“…” He waved her hand away and continued to walk forward.

Itomi Yuki reached out again and grabbed the hem of his white coat.

“I’m begging you,” a desperate plea with a hint of tears.

Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t turn his head, pulled his clothes back, and walked away with big strides.

The window was hit with a crackling sound. As the weather forecast had said, a torrential downpour began.

The class bell rang. In the corridor where only Itomi Yuki was left, the sound of rain echoed.

She looked at the window covered with raindrops, took a deep breath, and her eyes became determined again.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and a layer of rain mist even rose from the ground.

After class, Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t see Itomi Yuki at the classroom door and breathed a sigh of relief.

When he reached the first floor, he saw her standing at the entrance of the hall with a pale face.

Minamoto Kiyomoto walked over. During this time, Itomi Yuki’s gaze was fixed on him.

Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed and said to her, “High school should be over by now, right? If you don’t go back, your parents will be worried.”

Itomi Yuki took out her phone, sent a message, put the phone back in her schoolbag, and continued to look at him.

“My sister and I have only known each other for four months. Do you think I would know what she did?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked her.

Itomi Yuki said nothing, her hand gripping the shoulder strap of her schoolbag.

“I’m just like you. I don’t know anything, and I don’t dare to believe that Sayaka would commit a crime,” Minamoto Kiyomoto handed her his umbrella.

Itomi Yuki didn’t take it.

“Go back,” Minamoto Kiyomoto placed the umbrella on her schoolbag. “Your parents are already very sad. Don’t make them worry anymore.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto walked out of the building.

The rain was so heavy that it made a crackling sound when it hit the ground. A group of female students stood at the exit, holding umbrellas and hesitating.

He held the book in his arms and walked into the rain without hesitation. In a blink of an eye, he was soaked.

In this weather, an umbrella was useless.

Itomi Yuki followed, also without an umbrella, walking behind him without a word.

All the way south, until they reached the Waseda Gate, and stood in front of the Faculty of Science Building 1, Minamoto Kiyomoto stopped.

He turned around. The rain was pouring down. Itomi Yuki’s hair and school uniform were soaked, and her lips were bloodless.

Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed helplessly, “Come with me.”

Itomi Yuki held the shoulder strap of her schoolbag with one hand and the umbrella with the other, and nodded slightly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto took her to the nearest hotel. The water droplets from their bodies wet the floor.

“You go take a shower first. I’ll go buy you some clothes to change into,” Minamoto Kiyomoto opened the door and was about to turn and go out.

“Are you trying to slip away?” Itomi Yuki grabbed his clothes and said with a trembling voice from the cold.

“I’m really going to buy clothes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto comforted.

“No,” Itomi Yuki shook her head, and crystal-clear water droplets flew from the tips of her hair.

Minamoto Kiyomoto opened his mouth, not knowing what to say, and had to go back to the room.

He placed the half-wet book on the table, took off his white coat, turned around, and saw Itomi Yuki standing there as if blocking the door.

She was like she had just been fished out of the water. Her upper body was completely soaked, and the color of her underwear and her snow-white skin could be vaguely seen.

“Go take a shower. Wear a yukata first. Whether the school uniform can dry by tomorrow depends on luck,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Itomi Yuki shook her head again. She was soaked, like a stray dog drenched in the rain.

“I’m afraid you’ll slip away while I’m taking a shower,” she said.

“I’m not going anywhere. Go quickly, don’t catch a cold.”

Itomi Yuki stood there motionless. The floor under her feet was already a puddle of rain, and her thin body was trembling slightly.

“If you’re really worried, leave the bathroom door open. If I leave, you’ll know immediately. Is that okay?” Minamoto Kiyomoto persuaded again.

Itomi Yuki hesitated for a moment, picked up a yukata, and walked into the bathroom.

Then, she took out a towel and handed it to Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Thank you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto took the towel.

Itomi Yuki went back into the bathroom.

The sound of clothes rubbing, the sound of the skirt’s zipper, could be heard clearly.

Soon, the sound of the shower head releasing hot water also reached his ears, and mist overflowed from the bathroom door.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was also soaked. He took the opportunity to take off his clothes, simply wiped his body with a towel, changed into a yukata, and sat by the window, feeling dry and comfortable.

The raindrops hit the glass, and the sound of rainwater flowing through the thick water pipes could be heard. The rain was getting heavier and heavier.

In less than three minutes, Itomi Yuki had already changed into a yukata and came out of the bathroom, drying her hair.

“You’re done so quickly?” Minamoto Kiyomoto turned his head.

“Yes,” Itomi Yuki’s almost pale face had regained its color, and her skin was also glowing.

“Hot tea?”

Itomi Yuki shook her head, neither ‘yes’ nor ‘no’.

She didn’t know what to say. Her mind was completely unfocused, and she just shook her head reflexively.

Minamoto Kiyomoto boiled some water and poured two cups of hot tea.

Itomi Yuki sat down opposite him and took a sip.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her, raised his own cup and took a sip, and looked out the window.

It was already dark outside. In the depths of the rain screen, the orange Tokyo Tower was vaguely visible, and the streetlights stretched into the distance like stars.

“I thought I knew my sister very well.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto withdrew his gaze. Itomi Yuki was looking at the cup in her hand, as if it were a speech draft. Her voice had no ups and downs.

“And in reality?” he asked.

“In reality… it’s like a person looking at the night sky every day, but knowing nothing about the night sky.”

After a moment of silence, she suddenly put down her teacup, stood up, walked in front of Minamoto Kiyomoto, and slowly untied the thin belt of her yukata.

The front of the yukata slid to the sides.

Her elegant long hair slid from her neck, over her slender shoulders, over her fair and moist skin, and rested in front of her milk-white chest.

A few faint blue veins could be seen on her chest.

Her skin was as white and smooth as porcelain, and her seventeen-year-old waist was as slender as a ballerina’s.

A beautiful young girl’s body.

“Why?” Minamoto Kiyomoto averted his gaze.

“I know you like me,” Itomi Yuki let the yukata slide from her shoulders.

“If you do this, you’ll only make your sister sad.”

“I’m already in a precarious situation. I’m trying my best just to stand here. If I can’t take